Bred to Fight and Die
by onceuponasavacamarah
Summary: Just another ordinary day in the life of the clone hero Captain Rex. Rex and his brothers are simply reminded of the truth that risking their lives is only a part of their day job. One-shot.


Captain Rex Log 1.1

"GRAB SOME COVER MEN!" I yelled at what remained of my surviving brothers around me, before another surprise blast of metal fragments and broken rubble remains fell on top of our off-white body buckets. I laid flat on my face covering my head till the rumble that shook our bones became motionless. Around me lay the renowned landscape of a battlefield. The stench of smoke, blood, and burning flesh was enough to make you retch. The echoing sounds of bellowing orders, blaster fire, cries of pain from fellow brothers, and the ear-splitting screams of the blaster cannons were all imprinted in my head, but hardly was I immune to it all. War was all too surreal; every new battle was dissimilar, yet equal at the same time. With my ears ringing and the taste of blood in my mouth, I lifted myself off the damp cave floor. Damp of course from the ever living water supply dripping overhead in the cavern and remorsefully also from the blood of my dead brothers that flowed like the Solleu River of Naboo.

I grabbed my two DC-17's that escaped from my grasp a few yards away, then ran over to where yet another group of troopers had tried to avoid the blast. Placing my fingers upon one of their necks, I quietly prayed a simple prayer that he would yet live. No pulse. DEAD. As was the rest of them. Another group of brave men under my leadership lay motionless at my feet. With no time to mourn yet another loss, and no proper way to bury the honorable dead I left the bloodied troopers behind and never looked back upon the deceased.

The fire and smoke from the last blast left me a perfect cover up as I bolted quickly a number of meters to my left where a small darkened hollow spot in the cavern ground lay. Firing my blasters simultaneously at the battle droids ahead while I ran toward the hole; I heard the metallic sound of droids falling on the hard rocks and the wail of their off-pitch screams.

"DIE, YOU BLASTED CLANKER SCUM!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I watched my blue lasers disappear in the enemy territory.

I vaulted over a boulder that lay ahead in my path then I rolled into the hole, as another blaster fire missed my back by a few inches. Lucky, yet again. I pressed my back against the cave's wall and slid down till I was seated on the floor; my face hidden not only underneath my bucket, but also beneath the shadows. Out of frustration I nailed my fist on the cavern floor.

_I failed._

"Are you alright trooper?"

Two clones emerged from the darkness on my left. I let out of sigh relief for a split second as the shinnies Shard and Kelos came into view of my HUD screen. They immediately seemed to snap to action after taking a closer look at my white and blue striped platoid armor.

"Captain Rex…Glad to see you alive, sir."

"And you as well," I told them while placing my blasters at my side. "You boys holding up?"

"Yes sir. What about the men still up there? Have you seen Whyte?"

Another blast from outside of our crude hideout shook the floor, covered us in scrapples of rock and had given us more unwelcome darkness. I looked at the trooper that shared the same concern I had for my brothers. Our dead brothers.

"There wasn't one trooper to count up there."

Shard's eyes fell to the floor, along with the clone sitting behind him. I picked up my over-worked body covered in lowdown smut just to place a reassuring hand on my brother's shoulder. I wanted to give him an encouraging word, but it seemed as if there was no place for my words at the almost silent moment. I stood for a moment then nodded while I squeezed his shoulder then released it.

"I'm sorry soldier…" I spoke a little quieter than usual. I left out the words that were about to roll off my tongue and kept it to myself. They may be shinnies, but I didn't have to remind them of the dire situation.

_That we were the only ones left._

The only ones left of our entire regiment of clone troopers that started a short while ago under the leadership of General Skywalker and had now lain only upon my shoulders. I had to make the calls. I had to send my innocent brothers into the blaster fire so that I could see them fall lifeless at my feet.

"It wasn't your fault, sir." Shard gripped my own shoulder as if he could openly read my thoughts. "You had no idea that this place was an ambush. None of us did."

"No, I did not….I was careless not to see it coming."

"Captain, with all due respect, only a Jedi could have seen the mess we…."

_General Skywalker._

I refused to listen to the remainder of the trooper's words as I looked at my wrist for my com-link. It was fried. Deactivated intentionally by the blasts. We weren't dealing with a bunch of mindless clankers.

_Blast it._

There was no possible way to call, reach, or locate the General, nor anyone else for that matter. We were on our own.

"…Sir?"

The questioning soldier pulled me out of my thoughts. "I'm fine, just thinking."

"Then think our way out of this mess, Captain." Kelos answered sharply with no tinge of jest, or humor in his voice.

His disrespect caught me off guard and I looked to where he was sitting on the dank floor; his head resting against the rock wall, while his hand lay upon his right forearm where blood steadily flowed from an open wound staining his already battered armor.

"Mind your place, Kelos." Shard rebuked him instantly.

I waved my hand to them both to say I didn't care, but in reality I did. Here I was the Captain of the entire regiment; I still lived while my brothers lie motionless in the dirt and, yet I couldn't think of a way to save the lives of two men including myself.

_I failed._

I reminisced the cold, obscure scene that only occurred a few minutes ago. It played over and over again in my mind. It happened all too fast. It seemed as if the Separatists already knew our every motive. My troops under my command waited in the rendezvous point, a dank cavern sized enough to fit the number of our troops, waiting for the return of General Skywalker for further orders. Skywalker and the orders never came in time. The bright explosive blasts from sensor mines buried within the cave blinded my HUD screen and sent my troops to the depths. I watched many of my brothers die one by one as the mines activated and Separatists barricaded the only way of escape shooting down those who remained. We were the bait caught in a snare. It was a cruel uncivil way of war. Inhuman and cold. Unfair.

I have been in more battles then I can remember, and I should know the result of war better than any new shinny. We were created for the soul purpose of war. To be born with a fighting heart, and to die with a heart that has fought. We live because the fighting lives on; without it we would be worthless. This is what we were made for and my heart was not done fighting yet. It was only bleeding internally.

_Bred to fight and die._

I took in reality of the thought. If this was my moment to die, I would regret any person finding my crumbled body hiding in a smut hole. It was my wish to die on the battlefield along side of my brothers. I toughened up my guts to press on while my hands found the DC-17's at my side.  
Blaster fire again broke the silence. The metal machines found us and dragged in closer to our location. It would be any moment till they would be on top of our heads and would slaughter every bit of us.

"We can't stay here any longer then what we already have." I pressed the button on a thermal detonator found in my pouch and tossed it blindly out of the hole towards the sound of blaster fire. The sound of metal being made rubbish brought a smile underneath my bucket. "I'm through thinking this one over. Let's get up there and fight like men…. And that's an order."

The two of them stood to their feet and nailed a sharp salute. "Sir, yes sir."

I felt the heat of blaster fire creep closer. I raised my blasters into the air.

"ALRIGHT MEN, LETS SCRAP 'EM FOR OUR BROTHERS!"

_I will not fail you._


End file.
